


I'd Love To Change The World

by orphan_account



Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fix-It, Happy Ending, Loki-centric, Powerful Loki, Resistance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They thought they were safe after Ultron - They were wrong. </p>
<p>Two weeks after Ultron's failed attack Thanos finally made his move and the Nine Realms never stood a chance. Four years later all life is lost and it's by chance that the Avengers stumble upon a kid who brings with him news of an underground resistance.</p>
<p>The whole operation holds a lot of promise and piques The Avengers' interest but there's just one problem. It's run by a god who was supposed to be dead a long time ago and they're not sure if they can trust him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Game Changer

“Honey I’m home!” Tony called out mirthlessly as he entered the broken down apartment he and The Avengers had called home for the last two years.

Home was probably a bit of an exaggeration in referral to the dump the place was but it wasn't like they had many other options. Tony was sure that in a past life the apartment might’ve been nice, maybe even a little luxurious but now it was nothing more than a pile of rubble beneath their feet. Most of the walls dividing the rooms had huge gaping holes in them whilst the doors were barely capable of standing without the aid of some sort of structure behind them. There were a multitude of cracks running through the ceiling that made rainy days a nightmare and soft spots in certain areas of the floor that made walking around a mission on its own. As it was, he was jumping over one of the soft spots in order to reach the kitchen – or the room they’d assumed was it due to the sink and barely identifiable granite island in the middle of the room.

“You’re back? How did it go?” Steve asked with a hesitant sort of hope. After everything that happened with the war and their inevitable loss, it was hard to hope anymore, even for the ever optimistic Super Soldier. 

“Alright, I caught two rabbits and scavenged up a can of beans. It’s not much but at least tonight we don't have to go to bed hungry.” Tony replied seriously as opposed to four years ago where he might’ve replied with something witty and maybe even a little funny. Unfortunately whatever humour he’d had before had been killed along with the billions of human lives lost during Thanos’ invasion.

It had happened so unexpectedly. One moment they’d all been safe and then in the next, everything they’d known had been wiped away.  
After Ultron they’d let their guards down, they’d assumed that no major villains would be attacking any time soon and that was how Thanos had gotten them. They’d been basking in the warmth of their victory whilst he’d been assembling his army and when he’d finally attacked they’d been so slow to react it had cost them everything. 

They’d been so stupid. At first when the first fleet of chitauri flew through the portal that had ripped itself open above Washington DC they’d thought it was Loki again. They’d wasted time arguing with Thor about it only to finally accept his word once the raven haired god had failed to show himself. By then it had been too late. They’d taken down the first fleet but thinking that it was just another stunt of Loki’s they’d failed to imagine that maybe there could’ve been more.

They only had themselves to blame when the second portal opened up above Hong Kong and they’d been unprepared. Chitauri came flying through the sky like it was some sort of sci-fi movie and they didn't stop for a long time. At first the world was more than happy to let the superheroes handle it. They sat back and watched as The Avengers with the aid of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spiderman and just about any hero around fought battle after battle trying to save their lives. Then the human torch was fatally wounded and the world realised how serious this threat was. Armies were deployed, law enforcement agencies armed and civilians warned. Guys who had been villains offered their services; Hydra pledged their allegiance and for a glorious moment earth was united as one. 

That glory was short-lived as another three portals opened and the world descended into chaos. This time it wasn't just chitauri flowing out of those portals, there were other things too – monstrous things too hideous to describe. They were a force of nature and soon enough every man and woman was fighting for their lives. Nowhere was safe. There was nowhere you could run or hide that they wouldn’t find you. Everyone was dead whether they knew it or not.

They’d lost the war before it had even begun. 

They hadn't been alone. Asgard fell to the same forces around the same time with the other realms soon following. There was mass destruction all over the universe and that crippling realisation broke whatever hope of retaliation any of them had been holding onto.

The war only lasted three weeks. Within three weeks the human race went from being a little over 7 billion to being no more than a million. Within three weeks the universe went from being whole and balanced to toppling over at the edges. Within three weeks their world had been destroyed and the rubble they lived in was all that remained. 

The fleets stopped coming once they realised the humans had given up. It was two days after that that the portals closed leaving thousands of chitauri and unidentifiable monsters behind with a handful of fearful humans. Everyone retreated to any sort of safety they could find, people stocked up on weapons and food to last them as long as possible and soon enough there wasn't a single soul that could be seen out. Humanity retreated back into their holes like frightened animals and the aliens thrived off their fear. 

The surviving heroes did their best to fight and protect those caught out by their invaders but after a while it proved to be futile. They couldn't be everywhere so people kept dying. The human population dropped exponentially and it felt like their time for extinction had finally come. 

It had been three years since the invasion and now one and a half years since the avengers had last seen another living being outside of their team. They were alone and for all they knew they could’ve been the last survivors of the human race.

“Good, we’ll start working on dinner just now.” Clint replied from where he sat holding his smallest child beside his sick wife with his other two kids sprawled out around him. 

It hurt to see the once radiant and exuberant family brought down to this. Clint had just gotten them back, they had just become a family again and Thanos had ripped their future away from them without a single thought. Before, Bruce might’ve been filled with rage at the thought but now all that filled him was a hollow ache. The war had broken them.

Nothing much else was said after that. Tony took his usual seat by the wall and the room was once again engulfed by its usual silence. It was only because of that silence that they were able to hear the muted slap of feet on the floor a few feet outside their apartment.

Their eyes all snapped open in alert and on instinct they were armed and poised to defend and if necessary attack. None of them made a sound, none of them dared to even breathe as they listened out for the sound again. The thing seemed to have stopped moving and even with Steve’s super hearing he couldn't detect anymore movement.

They weren't stupid enough to believe that meant they were safe. Years living in hiding had made them too paranoid for such rookie mistakes so with imperceptible steps and a tense form Steve stepped forward to open the door and confront whatever thing was outside waiting for them. They all had their guns trained on the door as backup – more than ready to take the shot if needed.

When Steve opened the door none of them could say they were unsurprised by the sight they were met with. On their doorstep stood a boy, he was tall and lanky with dark skin scattered with scars and marks no doubt from the war. He wore plain black pants that looked to be in decent condition along with a grey t-shirt just a couple of sizes too big on him. His shoes – combat boots they noted – were scuffed up but wearable. All in all he looked okay, alive and his appearance shocked them all enough for them to lower their weapons slightly.

“Holy shit.” The kid said with wide brown eyes and an open mouthed look greatly resembling that of a goldfish. His face was filled with so much innocence, so much life. He couldn't have been more than 14 years old.

The team had no idea what to say and it was only when the kid shifted a little uncomfortably under their hard gazes that they realised they were still pointing no less than six weapons at him.

“Uhm please don't kill me. I come in peace?” The kid continued only to be met with stony silence and a barely perceptible wince from Tony at the joke.

“Too soon? Sorry but do you mind? I swear I’m a friendly.” The kid assured as he asked for them to lower their weapons. He had hints of an Australian, maybe South African accent and it unnerved the team. How had he gotten here?

“Okay I’m just going to move my hands very slowly to my back then my ankle. I’ve got a gun and a knife stored there. I’ll show you.” The kid said before slowly and hesitantly moving his hands to the aforementioned places and showing his weapons. A couple of years ago it might’ve surprised Steve to find a kid his age armed like that but now, nothing about this seemed out of the ordinary. After and during the invasion, kids had been forced to grow up way too quickly. Young boys were forced to take on the role of the provider in the family as they watched their fathers die trying to save them. Young girls became their family’s comforters and fellow providers as they watched their sick mothers wither away. It was devastating and the responsibilities thrust on the children were plenty.

A part of Bruce wondered what had happened to this kid and his family whilst another really didn't want to know.

“What’s your name and what do you want here?” Steve asked after finally regaining his voice.

“My name’s Robbie and that’s a long story. Do you mind letting me in? I’ll tell you everything but it’s not safe out here and I’d like to keep living you know.” The kid – Robbie apparently – replied with a nervous glance around and behind him. Steve considered the boy’s form for a moment before letting him in.

“Thanks I don't like being out in the open like that for too long. Bad things happen.” Robbie said, easily manoeuvring himself around the fallen debris and soft spots on the floor until he’d found a safe spot against one of the walls by a crack where he could see everything both in and outside.

The kid was smart. That thought didn't soothe the team’s nerves one bit.

“You said you’d talk once you we let you in. What are you doing here?” Steve asked earning a lazy one armed shrug from the kid.

“The same as you, I’m trying to survive.” Robbie replied simply only to find himself with a face full of gun.

“Wrong answer.” Natasha informed harshly earning a startled yelp from the kid. They almost felt bad for him – almost but in a world like this, there was no room for feeling sorry or being kind. It was kill or be killed and trust was a rare commodity.

The boy may have been nothing more than a child but even he couldn't be trusted. The aliens were not above playing dirty if it meant getting them.

“Oh come on, you’re no fun.” Robbie whined nervously into the barrel of Natasha’s gun. It was so close he could smell the gunpowder and it made him want to sneeze.

“Neither is the extinction of the human race.” Natasha retorted coldly and wasn't that just a downer. Robbie sighed in acquiescence. 

“Alright alright I’ll give. I didn't intend to stumble upon you guys. I was walking around, scouting the area when I spotted one of you guys walking into this apartment building. It’s not often that I see people walking around when I’m out so I followed you here and waited a while before deciding to come to your door. I was still deciding on whether to knock or not when you opened the door with you gun drawn at me.” Robbie finally explained and everything about his tone, body language and words indicated that he was telling the truth. Natasha withdrew her gun but didn't put it away. It never hurt to be too safe after all.

“Okay so you were curious – very unwise of you. What if we had been unfriendlies or a trap set by the aliens to lure you in?” Steve questioned hoping to at least teach the kid a lesson in safety before they sent him back to wherever his home was.

“Then I would’ve been dead but I’m not and you’re not. You’re the fucking Avengers man! That’s so freaking awesome.” Robbie beamed with a youthful excitement they hadn't seen in years. It was bittersweet because that naivety and exuberance would get him killed if he wasn't careful.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed kid and if you’ve come here seeking some sort of help or whatever you’re not going to get it here. We’re not gonna magically save the world now that you’ve found us. We’re in hiding for a reason.” Tony warned expecting to see the kid’s expression break in disappointment only to be surprised when it didn't but rather shifted into one of exasperation as he rolled his eyes.

“Well obviously. You couldn't beat the chitauri and Thanos the first time, why would I think you could do it now?” Robbie snorted and that shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. As much as their name was Avengers, they’d had no delusions of any avenging of any sort. But for some reason none of them could explain, hearing it said by someone else hurt.

It showed just how far they’d fallen that even naive children like this one didn't believe in them anymore. 

“Then why are you still here?” Clint asked his tone harsher than he’d expected. Robbie didn't seem affected by it at all.

“Because I’m going to help you.” Robbie beamed excitedly only to be met with the blank and largely unimpressed expressions on the heroes’ faces. He should’ve known they wouldn’t believe him at first.

“You’re funny kid. You sure you didn't accidentally shoot yourself in the head with that gun of yours on your way here?” Tony remarked never having been particularly good at handling children. 

“Alright I get it, I’m just a kid and you guys don't think there’s anything I could possibly do for you and maybe that’s true. There’s nothing I could do for you but I know people. I know a lot of people and they could help you.” Robbie explained earning hesitantly curious glances from the Avengers as they thought over his words.

“What are you talking about? You know people? Who are they?” Bruce asked sounding the nicest of all of them and Robbie was grateful for his kind countenance.

“Yeah I do; a lot of them. They’re all in hiding and that’s why you never see them but there are still people out here. Not everyone’s dead, some of us are still alive and doing pretty good considering the circumstances.” Robbie replied and looking at him again it wasn't hard to consider the possibility. Robbie wasn't dirty like they were, he wore scrappy clothes but they were clean and he held himself with the confidence of a boy who was regularly fed and got a good night’s sleep regularly. They couldn't say the same for themselves and it had them curious enough to listen some more.

“Okay you’ve got us curious, talk.” Steve conceded and the smile on the boy’s face was a mix of excitement and pride. 

“Okay but you’ve got to promise to keep your minds open.” Robbie requested earning hesitant nods all round before he went on.

“Okay so I can't really say much about it for safety reasons of course but there’s this underground group. We don't really have a name or anything but there are a lot of us. We live in this huge base that runs under the entire city and there we’re safe. It’s like a community. We work together to get food and water and we take care of each other. There are people of all kinds there. There are people from other realms like elves and stuff and there are mutants and heroes like you guys and regular humans like me.” Robbie paused there letting it all sink in and waiting for their reaction.

“There are aliens down there?” Clint asked his voice doing little to disguise the distrust in his voice. Robbie should’ve seen that reaction coming.

“Yes but not like that. They’re not like the ones that came with the chitauri; they’re like Thor over here. They’re friendlies I promise. They do as much work as I do and they help out and they’re all for our cause.” Robbie was quick to assure only managing to earn himself narrow eyed looks from the entire group at his declaration.

“Your cause?” Thor asked and Robbie nodded.

“Yeah I mean surviving is great but surely you want more than that? We’re not ready to fight back just yet but we’ve got a plan and we’re building an army. We’ve been recruiting people since the group started. You don't have to fight if you don't want to though, it’s not like that. If we find you and you agree to come down with us you are given the option not to but most choose to fight. We’re sick of hiding like a bunch of scared animals. We don't want to live under Thanos’ tyranny forever. We may have lost before but before we were unprepared, we had no idea what our threat was and we fought alone. This time we’ll win because we know all that and we’re not alone.” Robbie replied only to bristle at the condescendingly pitying looks he was being sent by the team.

“Wow you really are just a kid. Don't you see what’s around you? Can’t you see all the damage caused? You can't beat Thanos.” Steve said sounding like a man who’d given up a long time ago. It made Robbie sick to see one of his heroes broken down like this.

“Maybe but that’s not something I ever thought I’d hear any of you say. You know when you first opened that door I was ecstatic to see you, Steve Rogers, the Captain America standing there and then when I walked in I couldn't believe just how lucky I was to have found you all – the Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes! We looked for you, we’ve been looking for you, you know? You guys are one of the best teams Earth has ever had as protectors and we wanted you guys on our side. So I was pretty amped to have been the one to find you guys. But now I’m not so sure because if that’s the attitude you have, if you’ve been broken so badly then maybe you’re not the team we thought you were and we’ve wasted a lot of time searching for you.” Robbie sighed disappointedly managing to light a spark of emotion in Tony he hadn't felt in a long while – rage.

“Hey kid you don't know anything okay! You don't know shit about what we’ve been through or anything about the lives we’ve lost. You don't know anything about just how broken we are so I’d think twice before judging us.” Tony snapped and for the first time since they’d known Robbie, his face appeared completely emotionless.

“Are you sure about that? Are you really? Let me tell you something Iron man. I watched as a chitauri stabbed my father for trying to protect my pregnant mom. I watched as one of those monsters ripped my mom into two before pulling her heart out and eating it right in front of me. I watched as the life slowly left my mom’s eyes and my unborn baby brother died on the side of the road. I saw all of that, felt all of that and still had to return back to the dump that we called a home and tell my younger sister that mommy and daddy wouldn’t be coming back. I became an orphan and a mom and dad in the span of five minutes when I was only ten. So don't you tell me I have no idea how broken you are because I assure you – I can match any loss you’ve experienced and more.” Robbie’s words were no louder than a whisper but were filled with a quiet rage that ripped through all their hearts.

“God... Kid...” Tony didn't know what to say. Fortunately Robbie cut him off with an impatient hand gesture.

“My name’s Robbie and I really don't have time for this anymore. I’m due back soon and if I don't return people will come looking. So I’m just gonna go right ahead and do this. I’m part of this really great underground group of very powerful and amazing people. Our goal is not only to survive this but to take Thanos down. You guys are a legendary group of heroes and I’d really like it if you would come back to the base with me. You don't have to stay and if you agree to stay, you don't have to fight. I can promise you food, water, a bed, a warm shower and healing for those of you who are sick. Will you come with me?” Robbie asked and gave them no longer than thirty seconds to decide before he was shaking his head disappointedly and making his way towards the door to leave.

“Give us a minute or two to pack our things and we’ll come with you.” Steve called out right before the boy could pull the door open and vanish from their lives forever.

“Hurry up then.” Robbie replied with a nod as he and the team mentally prepared themselves for the journey ahead.

This was going to be a game changer.


	2. Smoke & Mirrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers arrive at the base

The trek through the deserted city was a long one and they had to take a break more than once so the kids could rest and people could eat something. It was the middle of summer so the heat was practically unbearable and they all found themselves shedding as many layers as possible. Robbie seemed unaffected by any of this as he simply soldiered on making them wonder whether he'd lied about being a regular human.

In the end it took them two days to reach their destination and even when they'd reached it, they hadn't realised it until suddenly they'd found themselves trapped in an elevator like thing heading underground fast. Robbie had been quick to assure them that everything was fine and it was only when they were out of the scary contraption that the reality of the situation hit them.

"Yo Robbie, cutting it a little close this time don't you think?" A man looking to be in his mid thirties dressed in a similar but better fitting outfit to Robbie greeted as they walked further through the entrance and into what they could only assume was the base.

The walls were light grey on one side and white on the other managing to compliment the smooth grey rocky floor artistically. The area they'd walked into seemed to be a connecting area between the entrance and the rest of the place as the room was bare except for the two black mahogany desks and black swivel chairs they assumed belonged to the older man in front of them along with his partner in one of the chairs. On the mahogany desk nearest to them was a mini projector and hologram keyboard much like the ones that used to be everywhere in Tony's house and what was being projected looked to be security footage from right outside the compound's entrance. The team was unsurprised to find no signs of life anywhere nearby.

"Maybe but I think you'll find it was worth it." Robbie's voice snapped them back to the conversation at hand.

"What do you – oh hell kid. Please tell me you didn't." The guy – stocky, brunette, yellow eyed – replied, finally noticing their presence.

"Find the Avengers and convince them to come down with me? Sorry I can't." Robbie seemed even more excited than they'd ever seen him before and that was something. The stranger looked to be used to it if the exasperated sigh he heaved was anything to go by.

"You're going to be in deep shit for this you know. Recruiting wasn't your task." The man warned; his voice a rumbling sort of melody.

"I know, just think of it as a bonus to everything else I did. And come on, deep shit? I'll be getting a raise." Robbie winked eliciting a scoff from the stranger.

"You don't get paid kid." The stranger reminded.

"Then I'll be getting extra portions of food for the next week or something. I mean come on, it's the Avengers! Boss is gonna love me." Robbie was getting positively moon-eyed over the prospect and the man looked ready to start laughing.

"Pity your commanding officer won't feel the same. You deviated and you could've gotten killed. You're also almost late." The man just had to burst the kid's bubble.

"Gosh! Way to be a Debbie downer." Robbie pouted, a look that fit perfectly on his entirely too youthful face.

"Report to the debriefing room now before you get in any more shit for dawdling. I'll handle your... guests." The man sighed as he shooed the kid off in a manner that could only be described as fondly.

"Mmm'kay, don't you dare take the credit!" Robbie shouted from down the hall as he made to sprint to wherever the debriefing room was.

The stranger seemed to steel himself before turning to face them and when he did, his face was the picture of professional composure.

"Avengers it's a pleasure to meet you, my name's Michael." Michael introduced himself before moving to shake all of their hands cordially.

"Likewise." Steve replied still feeling a little off kilter being in a new place. If Michael sensed it, he did a good job of ignoring it.

"Now I'm not sure what Robbie has told you about us but I assure you this is a safe place and we mean you no harm." Michael stated not sounding as though he was attempting to reassure them but merely speaking as though it was a fact that needed to be stated.

"Of course." Steve agreed even though he was still uncertain about that. Michael nodded in understanding before sobering up even further.

"But there's also the issue of security here. We understand your need for weapons but we ask that you divest yourself of any that you have in possession at the moment. Our only intention here is peace and we ask that you show us the same trust we've shown you by allowing you into our home. I promise that all weapons will be returned to you promptly once you have been cleared." Michael continued and it was then that his silent friend stood up holding a bucket that was clearly meant to hold their weapons.

The team shared an uneasy glance, undecided whether they should follow what was clearly the normal procedure in this place or attempt to argue against it. In the end it was the silent man's words that made their decision.

"I understand that trust is a rare commodity these days but if you can't show even the slightest of leniency towards your fellow humans – those who have suffered the same as you – who can you trust?" The second man asked and after a look around their group they started the tense process of removing their weaponry.

Thor was the quickest as all he had to do was put down his hammer. He didn't dare put it in the bucket, knowing that he'd only succeed in causing the man to crumple under its weight, but rather beside one of the mahogany desks. Natasha took the longest with her multitude of weapons that almost filled the bucket on their own. Clint was next with his compressible bow, three guns and five knives. Steve had but his shield and two guns. Tony beat Bruce by one gun with his two after he'd put down his briefcase iron man suit model. Wanda carried only a pair of knives hidden within her boots and Clint's wife – Laura – possessed only a single knife with her children predictably unarmed. Even with all the changes the invasion had brought about, they were too young for that.

"Thank you." Michael said sounding genuine before allowing his nameless companion to carry the weapons back to his desk where he went onto sorting them and placing them into individual safes.

"Now if you could please follow me. I'm sure the boss has been made aware of your presence by now and I'd rather we didn't keep him waiting. He'll be eager to see you." Michael requested before turning on his heel and making his way down the hall with the Avenger's hot on his heels.

"Oh, who is he?" Natasha asked sounding just curious enough for Michael to know she was asking him.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that. You're going to have to find out for yourself." Michael replied with a slightly apologetic smile.

"Great, he's a smoke and mirrors type of guy. Works in shadows and whatnot?" Tony almost rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. What was the point in anonymity these days? No one was special enough for their name or identity to be a secret. No one had time for games like that anymore. Michael merely smirked at Tony's expression.

"You could say that." He replied unhelpfully before reverting to the professional countenance he'd adopted before. The team didn't mind that as they were far more interested in taking in their surroundings.

The grey wall and white wall theme seemed to carry on all around the base as they made turn after turn. What didn't continue was the emptiness of the first room. Walking through the hallways they saw room after room, some through glass windows and others blocked by black doors. They caught sight of what looked like a giant cafeteria, offices, hospital rooms, gyms, supply cupboards, classes and god knows what else. The place seemed to be fully stocked with things necessary to survive and they were reminded of Robbie's words earlier. Yes this place was definitely doing pretty good considering the circumstances. Nothing about it looked run down or like a typical refugee camp. It looked neat and tidy and functional. It looked like a state of the art facility catered to taking care of peoples' every needs and that only fuelled the team's curiosity over the leader even more.

They almost stumbled over their feet when they turned what might've been their third right and were faced with a hallway full of people moving about. Robbie definitely hadn't been lying. There were a lot of people – definitely more than they'd seen in the last few years – and they were all so different. There were people of every age; teenagers, the elderly, the middle aged and a bunch of young children. Wanda didn't even mind it when she was almost knocked over by a speeding kid chasing his friend down the hallway. She was too shocked by the sight of so many people to care.

"Sorry, it's just after lunch so everyone's making their way back to their duties. The hallways should clear up once we get closer to his office." Michael apologised unnecessarily and it took a couple of seconds too long for his words to register and for them to start moving again.

Michael didn't comment on it and they were grateful.

The door was open when they reached their destination and Michael gestured for them to enter first but he didn't follow. Instead they were left alone to meet this 'boss' and Tony would never admit to having felt nervous. The office was different from outside. Instead of the grey wall, white wall colour scheme that seemed to prevail outside, the office had beige walls and where the ground outside was made of rock the office floor was carpeted. Overall it wasn't very opulent; in fact it seemed very simplistic, as though the designer had chosen functionality over beauty. It was very restrained as the office contained only two abstract paintings, one giant conference table surrounded by plain chairs, simple wall lights and a relatively large black mahogany desk with a matching leather chair.

The mahogany desk had the same projector and keyboard as the ones they'd seen at the entrance. On top of it also lay a small stack of papers with a sleek black pen on top. There were two or three other knickknacks there too but before the team could study them any further their attention was drawn by a bone chillingly familiar voice.

"Avengers, it's been a long time." The man was tall but unlike where Robbie was lanky, he was made of sinewy muscle. He wore black pants, leather boots and a form fitting blue t-shirt. His hair was curly and fell no further than past his neck. He sported sharp cheekbones and his eyes shone the brightest green imaginable to man.

They couldn't breathe.

"Loki."


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki explains a little

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so there was a comment on the previous chapter about the F/M tag that had be thinking quite a bit. I've never really written F/M before so the idea is a little new to me. I was wondering whether you guys would prefer the F/M tag or for me to make it a M/M tag where it would probably end up being a Loki/Tony story.
> 
> I'd really appreciate your input on the matter so please leave a comment with your thoughts.
> 
> Thanks!

"In the flesh, please take a seat." Loki replied with a gesture towards the couches they'd missed when surveying his office. They didn't move an inch.

"...Or not." Loki nodded awkwardly before turning to put down the file he'd been carrying.

"So how are you?" He asked as he leant back against his desk and crossed his arms comfortably. Clint blanched at his casualness.

"How?" Steve asked still trying to process what he was seeing right now. Loki was here and not only was he alive but apparently he was also the leader of an underground group of people preparing to fight back against Thanos.

His brain was having trouble reconciling everything.

"Are you? Yes." Loki repeated his question calmly only to earn a couple of glares from the team. It was better than their blank faces expressions so Loki took that as a win.

"No you're dead. You're supposed to be dead. Why aren't you dead?" Tony questioned angrily and had Loki not expected this he might've been hurt.

"That's a long story." Loki replied with a slight sigh.

"We have time." Clint growled just barely containing his disbelief.

"Very well, I faked my death. The stab wound I received during the fight against the accursed on Svartalfheim wasn't lethal and with enough magic I was able to heal myself. I let Thor think I was dead because I needed to be." Loki explained briefly and if that was what Loki called a long story then they could only wonder what his short stories were like.

"That doesn't explain anything." Clint stated knowing that Loki knew they were asking about more than how he'd survived. The god was just being coy and it was freaking annoying.

"Perhaps not but anything I say now, you won't believe." Loki replied raising an excellent point that might've been valid a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately things had changed now and the world was no longer just black and white. It wasn't heroes versus villains anymore and it hadn't been like that in a long time. They lived in the shades of grey where villains could be heroes and vice versa.

Right now Loki was nothing more than a man they didn't like and the apparent leader of a society they were currently very interested in. They didn't care about his penchant for deceit if it meant getting answers and explanations to their questions.

"We've been through what one might call the apocalypse. We've fought beside our most hated enemies, encountered monsters we'd only ever seen in our nightmares and watched as people we thought we knew, turned on humanity to save their own skin. Right now we're standing in the middle of a base that's supposedly preparing to take down Thanos under your apparent lead. Everything's a little weird right now so why don't you try us?" Steve challenged and something about his tone or maybe even his words must've impressed Loki if the slight inclination of his head was any way to judge.

"Alright but first, please, take a seat. This may take a while." Loki offered again and this time the Avengers saw no harm in doing so.

Bruce reconsidered that thought as soon as he sat down as the couches were so comfortable they were verging uncomfortable. Clearly it would take them a while to get used to such comforts again after years of sleeping on rock hard surfaces.

"Okay, talk." Steve prompted to which Loki nodded agreeably.

"I'm sure you noticed the similarities between the army that I brought down to invade earth ten or so years ago and the army that Thanos invaded with. They're similar because Thanos was the one I was working for when I attacked you all those years ago. I'm also pretty sure Thor has told you the story of how I found out about my true heritage and in a fit of rage attempted to not only kill him but destroy Joutenheim my true home. As we all know at the end of that particular tale I – in essence – threw myself off of the bifrost. Now I'm sure you've come up with stories that explain the why and the how I threw myself off the bifrost and ended up attacking earth. I don't care what your theories are or what you think you know, I'm telling you you're wrong. Everything I did and said from that point onwards was a mess of lies and double meanings that were all in preparation for this." Loki paused allowing for them to process all the information so far.

He was unsurprised when the questions came.

"Are you saying that you knew that this would happen? That Thanos would target all the realms and destroy us all?" Wanda asked and Loki had almost forgotten she was a part of the team now.

"Yes." Loki replied simply earning several narrowed gazes from the group.

"Of course you did and I suppose that's why you built this base and why you believe you can take Thanos down." Natasha remarked and it wasn't quite sarcasm yet.

"Well sort of." Loki replied not quite as simply as before.

"Okay sure, why do I find that difficult to believe?" Tony questioned earning himself a smirk from Loki. Of all the people in the Avengers, Stark was definitely the most interesting and easy to read.

"Maybe it's because you're under the impression that I'm nothing more than a rebellious godling with daddy issues and a major superior complex. Or maybe you don't believe me because you've convinced yourself that there was no way to see Thanos' attack coming because you blame yourself for the fact that you didn't." Loki replied with a contemplative tilt of his head and watched gleefully as Stark's face contorted in anger.

"You –"

"Tony." Steve's voice was authoritative and anything Tony might've been about to say was cut off. Loki was almost upset by that.

"Don't be embarrassed, you weren't the only one caught out by Thanos. In my books you're much better than the All-father himself who actually saw what was coming and did nothing to save himself and the other realms." Loki mused knowing exactly what reaction his adoptive brother would have.

"Loki –"

"Oh please Thor, spare me the melodrama. Your never ending loyalty to Odin is admirable but misplaced in this case. How do you think I knew about Thanos' plan if not through the all-father himself?" Loki reasoned, cutting Thor off with an impatient hand gesture. He had no more time for family squabbles and petty grudges.

"What are you saying?" Thor questioned sounding just short of a demand.

"I'm saying exactly what you think I'm saying." Loki replied being as smart and evasive as ever.

"Explain." Clint demanded and Loki was unexpectedly quick to acquiesce.

"Before I fell from the bifrost I was king of Asgard which meant I had access to Odin's all seeing throne and any and all information contained within the realms. Whilst sitting on the throne I gazed upon Earth and found myself drawn to the presence of something foreign. I saw the tessaract in your oceans and knew in that moment that there would be trouble. You see I'd heard about the infinity gauntlet and Thanos' quest for its power before. I knew that if I'd found the tessaract so easily then that meant that Thanos knew where it was too. So knowing the consequences of allowing Thanos to get the tessaract I devised a plan to ensure that he wouldn't, at least not until I'd managed to prepare for the destruction that would inevitably ensue." Loki explained as per Clint's request and was surprised by the angry expressions on the avengers' faces.

Now what had he done wrong?

"So what? You jumped off the bifrost and decided to go it alone instead of telling someone about it?" Clint questioned earning a frown from Loki.

"Who said I didn't tell anyone about it?" Loki asked with a curious tilt of his head that could've been mistaken for ignorance if he weren't Loki.

"Well... Asgard did nothing." Tony reasoned only to be met with Loki's unimpressed stare.

"Of course they did nothing. You forget that at this point and time, Odin was in the Odinsleep and clearly had no intentions of doing anything about it if they way he'd ignored the situation was anything to go by. My mother – paralysed by her fear for Thor – was in no position to help me with anything and Thor was off gallivanting with his girlfriend. Asgard was as useless as usual." Loki remarked and somehow his distaste for Asgard had only grown since the last time they'd seen him.

"Then who did you tell?" Wanda asked curious

"I went to Vanaheim and Alfheim and warned them of the situation. I've always been particularly close with those two races and they were more than willing to offer their help should I need it." Loki answered and the expression of disgust on Clint's face was – like before – unexpected.

Loki was starting to wonder whether the man would ever be satisfied by any of his actions.

"So you warned your friends and no one else huh? Aren't you just the sweetest? Didn't you think us lesser realms could've used the heads up?" Clint drawled out resentfully and it was around this point where Loki lost his cool.

He'd promised himself he'd be honest with them and answer every one of their questions and he'd done so. But if they thought for a moment that he would just stand there and watch as they sullied his name with lies and misunderstandings, labelling him as something he was not – they were sorely mistaken.

Loki believed in two things, respect and loyalty. To get to the latter the former was needed and the Avengers were severely lacking in it. Loki could not believe their gall. It took some serious balls to sit there and trash his plan when they knew nothing of the circumstances he'd found himself in. Furthermore it took a special type of arrogance to mock it when that plan was the only reason they were still alive.

Loki would not tolerate another moment of such disrespect.

"This was years before Thanos would ever become a threat. You didn't even know you weren't alone in this universe at the time! You still believed magic was nothing more than a simple parlour trick! Tell me, would you have believed me if I'd told you that somewhere in your oceans you had a magical stone that combined with a bunch of other magical stones in a magical glove put on my a super magical being could result in the very magical destruction of your universe? Come on tell me, would you have believed a single word I said?" Loki snapped and there was something so painfully condescending about his tone that made them all shrink back into themselves.

Clint for once was silent and Loki revelled in the moment. Perhaps they'd think twice next time before insulting his intelligence.

"I thought so. This was way over your head at the time. Had I tried to warn you, you would've called me crazy so I did the next best thing. I bought you time. I threw myself off the bifrost with every intention of landing upon the desolate rock that was Thanos' home. I put myself through a year of torture in an effort to gain his trust and when that was finally done I begged to be the one to lead his army in his invasion of earth. He armed me with the sceptre containing the one gem he'd retrieved and he sent me off to do his good work believing me to be nothing more than a vengeful godling more than willing to serve. So I attacked and I did it so poorly there was no way I could've won. I lied and I acted and I fooled every single one of you with my deranged smiles and manic laughter. I played you all like a violin and it was beautiful. I lost the battle but I won the war and in the end the tessaract was taken to Asgard as I had intended. That way you were out of harm's way for a while longer and Asgard was able to protect the gem whilst Thanos rebuilt the army I'd let you destroy." Loki explained with an arrogance that only came with always being at least five steps ahead of people.

"You've got to be kidding me." Tony groaned and not in disbelief but rather in annoyance. He'd been outsmarted and blindsided not once but twice.

"Oh no I'm dead serious. You were all so willing to believe I was the bad guy that you overlooked all the important details. I'm sure that looking back at it now you can spot all the holes in my attack. Like if I wanted to rule the world why not just impersonate a president and work my way up that way? Or why not just kill you off one by one instead of creating an invasion that allowed you enough time to sort out your issues and take me down? Or how about the mind control thing, surely I would've noticed Selvig putting in a fail safe? And that slip of the tongue on the hellicarrier with The Black Widow, so sloppy. Clearly I wanted you to win. I think you said it best – there was no version of that invasion where I would come out on top." Loki replied and after everything, the Avengers weren't as surprised by the revelation as they would've been a couple of years ago. In fact, they didn't have a hard time believing any of it – it was just incredibly irksome to have it rubbed in their faces like this.

"So you played us just so you could get the tessaract up to Asgard. You went to prison just for that when you could've simply retrieved it yourself? I don't buy that." Tony scoffed as he pointed out a gaping hole in Loki's story.

"Yeah and the whole mission was kind of rendered pointless when you left your sceptre – that contained the mind gem – with us." Bruce added having notice a similar fault in Loki's logic.

"Ah yes you're both correct. My attack against your planet was only the first phase of my plan you see but Asgard screwed it up a little bit when they left the sceptre in your possession. I'd stupidly assumed that they'd be smart enough to confiscate it too. So unfortunately there was nothing more I could do about that. I'd stalled Thanos as much as I could by creating that dent in his army but dealing with the gem was now left up to you. I had other things to focus on as the convergence was coming up and I knew that would bring one of the other gems into play. Fate was too much of a mischief maker not to. So I waited patiently in my prison cell knowing that I would be called upon to help deal with the gem eventually only to be surprised when I found out that the gem was in Miss Foster of all people. Nothing about that changed my plans though; it was hearing about the discovery of another gem elsewhere that shifted my timetable. That was four gems that were now accounted for with the other two residing in the gauntlet in Asgard. I knew Thanos would be attacking soon and so when I found myself stabbed in the chest I took that for the opportunity it was and faked my death. I fled Svartalfheim to warn my friends in Vanaheim and Alfheim and they helped me disappear." Loki paused to let the information sink in before continuing.

"I spent the next year hopping all over the nine realms preparing myself and many others for the day Thanos would finally make his move. I operated under every radar and built this base in my spare time. When Thanos finally attacked I was in Vanaheim and with the aid of my friends I saved as many lives as I could by transporting them all to this place. After that we moved onto the other realms ultimately making our way to Earth. By the time I got here Thanos was done and your realm was in shambles. We – Frey, Freya and I – went from country to country offering help to as many people as we could. It was only a year after that that we started looking for people with the intention of recruiting them for war. By then we already had our fair share of heroes and mutants but we decided to be more intentional about our recruitment and that's when we started searching for you guys. It took us a hell of a lot longer than we'd have liked but here you are." Loki finally finished and by the end of it the Avengers all appeared to be deep in thought.

Logically and theoretically Loki's story made sense. With his thinking and knowledge it was easy to believe that Loki had come up with such a plan but trusting his word was a much more difficult feat. Trusting his word would completely shatter their perception of Loki and they weren't sure if they were ready for that.

The invasion may have blurred their perceptions of people but that didn't mean that old prejudices and grudges had been wiped away completely.

"Alright." Steve eventually said, disrupting the thoughtful silence that had engulfed the room.

"Alright?" Loki asked

"I believe your story and I believe you when you say you're being honest with us." Steve stated and it didn't take a mind reader to hear the unspoken but in that sentence.

"But?" Loki prompted patiently

"How do I know we can trust you?" Steve asked and Loki didn't have to think twice before answering.

"You don't and really the same could be said about you guys too." The answer was simple and the Avengers seemed taken aback by his candour. Loki went on regardless.

"That's just the way life is, you never know whether you can trust someone until you do. I'm not asking you to trust me right now, I'm asking you to give me a chance to prove myself worthy of your trust and I think that's the most anyone of us can ask of each other." Loki elaborated sounding saner and wiser than the team had ever seen him before. It was both refreshing and unsettling.

Steve took a while before responding and when he did he was very careful about it.

"Can we also ask for a little time?" He asked and Loki was almost tempted to call his tone hesitant which was ridiculous because what did he have to be shy about?

It's not like Loki would say no to such a reasonable request after he'd spent years tracking them down. That would only be counterproductive and Loki was nothing if not productive.

"Of course take all the time you need. I understand that such a decision requires time and consideration. In the meantime I feel it's only right that I offer you a place to stay as I'm the reason you were dragged all the way out here. We have food, medicine, clothes and whatever else you may wish for. Do not feel hesitant to ask for something. Anything of mine is yours." Loki stated so decisively it left no room for argument.

The Avengers were too stunned by Loki's continuous show of compassion that they probably wouldn't have been able to argue had they wanted to.

"Uh thanks." Steve uttered out awkwardly and if Loki thought the super soldier looked particularly adorable when speechless... well no one had to know that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to comment on the F/M or M/M (Loki/Tony) tag.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is just a thought that popped into my head randomly. I've got tons of ideas on how to move forward. Please leave a comment with your opinion.


End file.
